Supporting means for doors



Feb- 28, 1933. D. E. WILLARD SUPPORTING MEANS FOR DOORS Patented Feb; 2s, 1933.

noNALnnvwiLLAnn, oF nnrrvrnnn, ILLINOISv 4 sUPronTINGMEANsroR ADoorsy applicati@ 'med Augustis, 1929.. semi No`.wss6,s4. y

This invention relates to improvements in supporting means for doors and its purpose is toprovidefan improved device fors'upporting the door adaptedto travel along a 5 supporting track, such as anairplane hangar doorj for example." The principal object of .the invention is to provide improved-sup portingmeans comprisin parts 'capable'of y adjustmentifor varying yt e spaced relation of thedoor to the r supporting track and for varying thejrelativepositionsof the vertical'rv edges yof iadjacent' doors s that they, Vwill l vva trackrail Whichissecured to vorypartially properly align with each other when inclosed positions. further objectvof the invention is to provide asupporting device comprising a roller havingva vvertical spindle connected thereto and j ournaled in a bearing carried .by a bracket attached to the door, in Combination with means 'for adjusting the spindle vertically in its bearing in lorder to vary-the relation of the roller to the door.v Still another object of theinvention is to provide a roller frame having an upwardly extending spindle Ijournaled ina bracket attached to the f door in combination with anadjustingmemvber threadedlyy engaging thebracket lfor varying the position ofthe spindlegin'its bearing and having ya thrust bearing l interposed between the adjusting member andthe lspindle for carrying the'weight of the door. Other objects vrelateto various features .of construction and arrangement which will ap pear more fully hereinafter.- n The nature of the invention willbe understood'rfrom the followingy specification taken with the accompanying 4drawing inwhich one embodiment isillustrated.`" yIn the drawing,y 1 jf Figurey 1 shows `a partial` elevation. of the 0 lower kcorner of a door with a part ofjthek front ycover plate v.thereof removedto reveal the improved supportingdevice'of the present invention applied to the door and illus-` trated partially in vertical section; and

Fig, 2 shows a vertical sectiontaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1."

As illustrated inf the accompanying draw- ,ing7 the inventionl is lapplied to a door 10 cornprisinga pair of vertical framemembers 11v spaced apart and connected'by ahorizontal frameimember 12,.'thus providing a Chamberl 13 located'between' the inner'an'd outer metal cover plates 14 ofthe door which are secured f toftheframe members thereof by suitable 55 means. V j,

` Invth-e lower part of the chamberr 13,y there isflocated a'wheel or roller 15. which is adapted to travel upon a supporting track 16 and which has annular ilanges 15a' adapted to extendon lopposite sides ofthe head of the rail which ormsthe track. yInthis embodimentythe. door is supporteddat the bottom on n imbedded inthe floor ofthe airplane hangar or other building `towhichthe doors areap.-

uponr an axle .1',7y which is 'secured in the side frame members 18a of a roller frame 18..V The top transverse portion 18" lof the roller frame istformedfintegrally with an upwardly eX# tending rhollow spindle20 which isjournaled ina bearing hub"21j'form'ed .as an'- integral part of a bracket 22.1 'This bracket is positionedbetween thewframek .members 11 in the chamber`r v13 and is 'provided withrvertically plied. The roller 15 ismounted Vto rotatev I extendingv fiang'es22 which'coactwiththeV vertical` faces ofthe `:frame members 1,1l and kwith upwardly :7, extending arms 22by which have flat upper endsadapted to coact with are" secured thereto by means of bolts 23 and f nuts 24. :The bracket 22 is further yprovided .s

the lower face of the horizontalframemember 12 of the doorthus providing ja support for the weight of the door on the .i bracketv`r '8 5 y byatransverse pin `26 which passes'through thel hub21an'd is secured therein to limit the extent of vertical movement of the spindle lowerends.k This annular groove is engaged within the bearing hub`21 and itofmaintain 1 these parts normally4 in assembled relation.v

VIn" order to vary the relation of the'bottom ofithe'door to the track 16 andto varythe positions of the vertical edges of the door so that it will properly align with the door casing or with adjacent doors to effect a tight closure, means ane provided for adjusting the spindle 2O vertically within the bearing hub 21 and this is accomplished by means of an adjusting member 28 having the form of a bolt provided with a hexagonal head 28's". The adjusting member 28 threadedly engages an aperture 29 formed in the upper end Wall Y 21a-of the bearing hub and its lower end is provided with a concave surface 28b adapted to receive the similarly-formed central part of a hard metal washer 30. This washer coacts with the upper part of a spindle ball' bearing 31 which is located Within a cup-V shaped member 32 positioned within the upper enlarged bore 2()b of the spindle. The cup-shaped member 32 serves as a cage for the ball and' has a hard metal washer 33 seated in the lower end thereof and provided with an upper concave surface 33a adaptedV s quires the pivotal movement of the roller 15 about a vertical axis.

When it vis desired to -vary the relation-,of the roller 15 to the door, the adjusting member 28 may be manipulated by a wrench to move it vertically in the threaded part 29. This adjusting memjusting member without causing any substantial tendency to effect the turning of the adjusting member.

j Although one form of the invention:has`

been shown and described by Wav of illustration, it rwill be understood that' it may be constructed in various other forms within the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim: f l. The combination with a door of a roller adapted` to travel on a supporting track, a

roller frame-in which said roller is rotatably mounted, a spindle extending vertically from said roller frame, a bracket secured to said door and having a bearing hub in which said spindle-is journaled, said bearinghublhaving a threaded aperture at'one end, an adjusting bolt threadedly engaging said aperture, a retaining member mountedon said spindle and a spherical ball inserted between said retaining member and thelend of said adjusting member forpermitting rotation of said spindle Vand receiving the end-thrust thereof. 1

2. The combination with. a door, of a roller adapted to travel upon a supporting track, a

roller frame in which said roller is rotatably mounted, a spindle extending vertically from said roller frame, a bracket secured to said door and having a bearing hub in which said spindle is rotatably mounted, a cup-shaped member mounted in the upper end of said spindle, a bearing ball mounted in said cupshaped member, and an adjusting member threadedly engaging said bracket and having a part engaging the upper side of said ball for receiving the end-thrust transmitted thereto from said spindle.

3. The combination with a door having a pair of vertical frame members spaced apart and connected by a horizontal frame member', of a roller mounted between said vertical frame members and adapted to travel upon a supporting'track, a roller frame in which said roller is rotatably mounted, a spindle extending vertically from said roller frame, r4

a bracket having said spindle journaled therein, said bracket having flanges secured to said vertical frame members, and arms extending upwardlyfrom said bracket and engaging the under side `of said horizontal frame member.

4.' The combination with a door, of a roller adapted to travel upon a supporting track, a roller frame in which said roller is rotatably mounted, a spindle extending vertically from said roller frame, a bracket secured to said door and having a bearing in which said spindle is journaled, said spindle having a'cylindrical recess in the upper end thereof, a cupshaped member seated in said recess, a single ball bearing mounted in said cup-shaped member, and an adjusting member threaded- 1y engaging the upper portion of said bracket and coacting'with said ball bearing for adjusting said spindle vertically in said bracket. 5. The combination with a door, of a roller adapted to travel upon a supporting track, a roller frame in which said roller is rotatably mounted, ay spindle extending vertically on said roller frame, a bracket secured to said door and havin a sleeve in which said spindle is journaled, sald sleeve having a closed upper end provided with a threaded aperture, an adjusting member .threadedly engaging said aperture for exerting an end thrust on said J.

spindle to vary its position within said sleeve, and ball bearing means carried by the upper end of said spindle to receive the end thrust of said adjusting member.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

DONALD E. WILLARD. 

